The first meeting of the new Fillmore Central School Foundation was held February 22nd, 2011. The new board members began the task of creating the foundation’s framework. There is a lot of work ahead, but there is an excitement around the work and what it could mean to our school and students.

The foundation board is currently made up of five members and one school liaison.

Kayla Peterson of Preston is a graduate of Fillmore Central and worked for the school for seven years.

Kristi Kiehne of Harmony has two children in the Fillmore Central School district and is a graduate of the school.

Sue Ostrom of Fountain also has two children in the school district and served a five year term on the Fillmore Central School Board.

Emily Nikoloski of Preston has students attending Fillmore Central. She was also a graduate of Fillmore Central and is working on her doctorate in development.

Craig Mensink of Preston will serve as the representative on this board for the Preston Area Foundation.

The foundation’s vision is to channel educational donations toward school initiatives that will build stronger programs and academics for our children.

Why Develop a School Foundation?
• Public dollars are becoming scarce, so we need to be creative on how to generate dollars to support our school.
• Stronger schools lead to stronger communities
• We want our school to continue to grow and be viable, and additional dollars to support growth and new ideas is needed for that to happen.
• Have funds available for scholarships for families in need, so all families and children have equal access to experiences. Examples: extra curricula fees, school readiness tuition, milk and meal money.
• Prevent loss of programs.
• Invest in resources to support educational endeavors – technology, library resources, arts, music, etc…
• A foundation gives potential donors the opportunity to invest dollars that will add value to the community and members, and clear vision of how those dollars will be spent.

Getting Started:
• A media campaign is being developed to create visibility (radio spots, press releases, brochures, etc.).
• Develop a survey for Fillmore Central parents, students and staff to assist board with identifying funding priorities.
• The foundation currently does not have any dollars, so a fundraising campaign is also being developed.

The Fillmore Central School Foundation is a sub fund of the Preston Area Foundation and in partnership with the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation.